MXGP

MONACO (Principality of Monaco), 2 August 2018 - Youthstream is proud to announce that the sixtieth issue of MXGP Mag is now online. The newest issue of MXGP Mag features the Standing Construct KTM Team with a feature on the newly crowned EMX65 and EMX85 Champions. The new issue also gives a recap of the two Indonesian rounds, the MXGP of Czech Republic, and the Fox Holeshot standings. Afterwards we check out the 1973 Bultaco of Jim Pomeroy, the first USA rider to win a GP in Europe and feature Motocross Hall of Famer Alessio Chiodi.

Click here to read the sixtieth issue of MXGP Mag or download it for FREE on Apple Store or Google Play.

Those users who have already downloaded other issues on their iOS device can automatically download the new issue by opening the News Stand and clicking on the cover of the MXGP Mag. Whereas those readers using an Android device will be able to download the magazine for free thanks to this app: http://bit.ly/IssuuOnAndroid

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Youthstream

FIM

MXGP MAG

LOMMEL (Belgium) 01 August 2018 - After another weekend off MXGP is back on track this week at one of the most brutal circuits of the MXGP calendar. The 2018 Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium will take to the deep sands of Lommel to test the world’s best riders. Completely different from the hard pack surface at the last round in Loket, Czech Republic the sand of Belgium is home to many of the top teams in MXGP and the symbolic home of world motocross.

Aside from the MXGP and MX2 stars the weekend will include the races of EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250. In the EMX250 class the long list of talented riders is led by series points’ leader Mathys Boisrame from the Honda Red Moto Assomotor team. Meanwhile EMX125 presented by FMF Racing is currently led by KTM Junior Racing’s Rene Hofer but an injury last week has ended the Austrian’s season and opened the door for others to take the title such as Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Thibault Benistant.

Many of MXGP’s riders look forward to the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium but perhaps none more than Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings. Herlings is known more recently as the fastest man on the planet but has always been a true sand master. Leading the points by 30 Herlings won here in a battle against his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Antonio Cairoli. Aside from Herlings 2017 win he has won the GP another time in MX2 and also scored a podium in 2010.

Cairoli on the other hand has 3 overall wins and 3 podiums in Lommel. Even though the Sicilian seems to have lost grip on the title fight the last rounds with a hand injury he is expected to be back in fighting form this weekend. With 6 rounds remaining Cairoli is still in the fight for his 10th title but needs to cut away at the lead of Herlings.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle holds 3rd in the championship with 479 points while Team HRC’s Tim Gajser sits 29 further back at 450. Gajser has been the stronger of the pair recently and seems to be improving week after week. Historically however Belgium’s Desalle is the stronger rider at Lommel with 2 podium finishes, 2 top 5’s, and 1 top ten while Gajser has never been on the podium, has 2 top 5’s, and only 1 top ten.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre has been on the mend with an ankle injury but seems to have healed, especially with the additional weekend off. Now 5th in the championship Febvre has 1 podium, 1 top 5, and 1 top 10 in the Lommel record books.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff often flies under the radar but the Dutchman will be extremely interesting to watch on the Lommel sand where he fought with both Herlings and Cairoli last year to reach the podium on the circuit for his first time.

Joining Desalle for their home GP is the Belgians of Jeremy Van Horebeek from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and Kevin Strijbos riding for Standing Construct KTM. Van Horebeek comes off one his best performances last round in Loket after struggling with injury most of the season. Strijbos meanwhile has been on the mend from his injuries as well but is always strong in the sand with a prior win here in 2016 and one of his best races this year coming on the sand of Ottobiano.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 633 points, 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 603 p., 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 479 p., 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 450 p., 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 432 p., 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 419 p., 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 353 p., 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 319 p., 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 312 p., 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 231 p.

2017 Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium MXGP Top 3:

1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Antonio Cairoli
3. Glenn Coldenhoff

MXGP Photos

Main Photo: MXGP Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek

In MX2 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado has taken the points lead and the red plate from his teammate Pauls Jonass. Prado and Jonass have raised the level this season in MX2 not just in terms of speed but also consistency. Last year Prado took the win at Lommel over Jonass and will look to do the same this season.

The pair of KTMs will be an interesting watch this week as we will see how Jonass can respond to the loss of the red plate and the added pressure of defending his title while Prado will try to stay focused and not let the knowledge of leading the championship affect his riding. While Prado has only raced the event once and won, Jonass has raced here 3 times with 2 second place finishes along with a 9th in 2014.

Running 130 points back of Jonass is Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen. Olsen has struggled with small mistake recently and has been unable to return to his early season podium rhythm.

Olsen is now only 27 points ahead of Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Team’s Ben Watson and needs to return to the podium again this season and eliminate the errors if he hopes to maintain 3rd.

The situation is similar for Watson as he has been fast but struggles to match good starts with his speed. The Brit will surely be hungry for a podium this week after crashing out of the MX2 racing in Loket 2 weeks ago. Watson’s Kemea Yamaha Official MX2 Teammate Jago Geerts could be on the podium this weekend as well for his home GP.

Rising to the occasion and one to watch more recently is Team HRC’s Calvin Vlaanderen after scoring a handful of podiums and even an overall victory. Vlaanderen was by far one of the most confident and comfortable looking riders in Czech Republic and looks to carry his momentum into sand of Lommel.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 595 points, 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 584 p., 3. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 454 p., 4. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 427 p., 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, HON), 414 p., 6. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 375 p., 7. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 310 p., 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, YAM), 279 p., 9. Henry Jacobi (GER, HUS), 249 p., 10. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), 218 p.

2017 Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium MX2 Top 3:

1. Jorge Prado
2. Pauls Jonass
3. Julien Lieber

MX2 Photos

Main Photo: MX2 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Jorge Prado 2. Thomas Kjer Olsen

All the Photos from the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium will be available HERE

TIMETABLE in Local Time (GMT+2)

Saturday:07h45 EMX125 Group 1 Free/Time Practice, 08h30 EMX125 Group 2 Free/Time Practice, 09h15 EMX250 Group 1 Free/Time Practice, 10h00 EMX250 Group 2 Free/Time Practice, 10h55 EMX125 Last Chance Race, 11h30 MX2 Free Practice, 12h00 MXGP Free Practice, 13h00 EMX250 Last Chance Race, 14h00 MX2 Time Practice, 14h40 MXGP Time Practice, 16h25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17h10 MXGP Qualifying Race, 17h55 EMX125 Race 1, 18h40 EMX250 Race 1.

Sunday: 09h45 EMX125 Race 2, 10h25 MX2 Warm-Up, 10h45 MXGP Warm-Up, 11h30 EMX250 Race 2, 13h15 MX2 Race 1, 14h15 MXGP Race 1, 16h10 MX2 Race 2, 17h10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Europe

FIAT Professional MXGP of Belgium

The FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship is landing in Belgium: the fifteenth round of the championship will take place on Sunday 5 on the Lommel circuit for the scene of the “Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium”.

The partnership between Fiat Professional and the FIM MXGP World Championship, now in its third consecutive year, is based on authentic shared values of enthusiasm, determination and constant commitment, all embodied by Tony Cairoli, who is bringing all his usual tenacity and courage to this season's world championships, reflecting all the love of a challenge central to the Fiat Professional mentality. There is more. Today the bond between the brand and motocross is stronger than ever following the new partnership sealed with young Spanish talent Jorge Prado.

Jorge Prado is an individual destined for glory and born to be a pro. The youngster from Lugo has broken all the records of forwardness in motocross year-after-year and right now, at just seventeen years of age, he is already the man to beat in the MX2 World Championship and is competing directly for the title. He perfectly embodies the values ​​of the brand in a way that is unusual for his age and for this reason Fiat Professional chose him as a partner to be by his side in his development on both sporting and personal levels, a career which could bring the world championship title already this year. With six races to go, Jorge Prado is leading the scoreboard in an exciting head-to-head.

Tony Cairoli is also in contention for the MXGP championship title. He is currently thirty points from the top and there are still 300 up for grabs. Alongside the riders are the Fiat Professional brand and the product heroes of the official championship fleet: Fullback Cross and Ducato 4x4. The Fiat Professional pick up is rugged, reliable and has impressive load capacity. It boasts a payload of more than a tonne and over three tonnes of towable weight. Furthermore, by implementing all-wheel drive and a 4WD electronic selector, it can easily tackle the roughest terrain in the toughest conditions, like when travelling off-road carrying a heavy load, with the same agility that Tony Cairoli and Jorge Prado display on all courses.

Ducato 4x4 is an all-terrain, permanent four-wheel drive vehicle with two transfer cases and an automatically operated central viscous coupling. This device ensures the right drive torque split between the front and rear wheels, optimising traction on mud, snow and sand. Ducato 4x4 also offers all the features of solidity and performance needed to tackle off-road trails with particular outfits which exploit its entire payload.

It seems amazing that it was 10 years ago that Lommel rejoined the MXGP championship calendar after many years on the sidelines. After years or places like Namur, Kester, Neeroeteren, Genk and Zolder holding the Belgian GP, the deepest sand track in the world returned in 2008.

Lommel was of course a regular stop for the GP riders in the 1980s and 90s and its return in 2008 brought a lot of smiles to not only the Grand Prix public, but also the riders, who see this circuit as one of the toughest in the World.

That first year back and it was Spanish rider Jonathan Barragan that won in what was then the MX1 class. It was also the year Russian rider Gert Krestinov shock the MX2 big names to win his first and only Grand Prix.

Since 2008, Lommel has been a major part of the Grand Prix calendar. Local rider Ken De Dycker won in 2009, and in the MX2 class it was a very young Frenchman by the name of Marvin Musquin. A year later and one of the true kings of Lommel, Antonio Cairoli got his first taste of victory at the Lommel circuit, winning in the MX1 class, while Ken Roczen beat Jeffrey Herlings for the MX2 overall. One of the few times Herlings has lost in the deep sand of Lommel.

Cairoli again won in the MX1 class in 2011, and this time Herlings turned the tables on Roczen to win the MX2 class from the German youngster. A year later Lommel wouldn’t be on the GP schedule, as he held the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, and of course it was Cairoli and Herlings who dominated the races, Cairoli going 1-1 and Herlings going 1-2. Germany of course won the team overall, a victory that would see the European teams continue to dominate the event until this day.

Lommel would miss 2013 as Bastogne would hold the Belgian GP, and Clement Desalle would take that victory in MX1 and Australian Dean Ferris in the MX2 class. Fortunately Lommel returned in 2014 and that man Cairoli again dominated what was now known as the MXGP class, with Max Anstie winning the MX2 class as Jeffrey Herlings was out injured.

Shaun Simpson pulled off one of his rides of his life with a victory in Lommel in 2015, and Anstie made it a British double with his win in the MX2 class (again Herlings out injured). If the win by Simpson was unexpected in 2015, then 2016 was a real shocker, as veteran Kevin Strijbos got his first GP win in many years, and in MX2 Anstie made it three on the trot as Herlings was again missing with injury.

2017 and it was a sign of the times as Herlings won in the MXGP class, and also showing that the future will bring, Jorge Prado won in the MX2 class.

Now we move into 2018, and sadly this year the event will be without the man who got Lommel back on the calendar, Eric Geboers, who passed away recently. There will be a sad feeling inside the GP paddock this weekend, but without a doubt, Eric would have wanted to show to go on, and he will be watching over the event, just to make sure everything goes to plan.

American Darian Sanayei, a member of the Kawasaki Europe family since he arrived to compete in Europe, will continue his association with the Bike It Dixon Racing Team next season in the FIM MX2 World Championship.

Coming to Europe two years ago after a successful amateur career with Kawasaki in the USA, the twenty-one-year-old immediately found success in the European championship when he finished runner-up in the 2016 series. Moving up to the MX2 class with the Dixon Racing Team last year, he faced a learning season on many new tracks but confirmed his great potential earlier this season when he scored his first-ever GP podiums in Argentina and Spain. Missing his first ever overall podium in Spain by just a single point Darian had high expectations for the remainder of the season but a crash in practice at the opening round of the British championship series in which he damaged knee ligaments forced him to sit out several GPs. After attempting a return to action at the British GP it was clear that he needed to undergo surgery and, while recovering in his native USA, Darian has extended his contract with Kawasaki Europe and the DRT squad of Steve Dixon.

Darian Sanayei: “I’m really happy to be racing with DRT again next year. It feels good to continue our relationship and put our best efforts forward to accomplish an MX2 World Championship! My recovery with my knee is going really good and we are right on track. I should be able to start training on the bike around November/ December time, and that should be enough time to put in the work necessary for a good base to have a great season! I want to thank the entire team and the Kawasaki family for everything they are doing for me so we can achieve excellent results together.”

Steve Dixon (DRT team owner): "I'm delighted Darian has taken his third year option to stay with the Bike It DRT Kawasaki team. Darian, Kawasaki Europe, the team and the sponsors have unfinished business in the quest for world championship honours. Darian showed great speed before his ACL injury and it made perfect sense to sit down with Kawasaki and Darian to discuss the future and part of that plan was to take the best steps to fix the knee in readiness for a good campaign in 2019, I have to thank Kawasaki Europe for being instrumental in the long term plan. Darian has been a long-term loyal member of Team Green in the USA and then followed the Kawasaki path in Europe, first with Bud Racing in EMX2 and then with us since 2017; that loyalty goes a long way in these situations and I am looking forward to seeing Darian back on the Bike It DRT Kawasaki next season."

The FIM Motocross World Championship is ready to be back in Lommel, Belgium for the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium, round 15 of the series. Please find here below the timetbale as well as the entry list of MXGP and MX2 classes and in addition the entries from the European Championships EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and EMX250.

TIMETABLE

MXGP Entry List

MX2 Entry List

EMX250 Entry List

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing Entry List

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 31 July 2018 - Youthstream is happy to announce the entry lists for the 2018 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship in Horsham, Australia. The event will take place the 25th and 26th of August in Australia’s Victoria region.

The event will bring together riders from 23 different countries who not only race for their flag but also for themselves and to be crowned Junior World Champion and 65cc World Cup Winner. Three classes will take part in the racing with 65cc, 85cc, and 125cc.

Starting gates will be filled with big names such as America’s Max Miller, Ryder Difrancesco, and Aiden Tijero along with European top guns such as Holland’s Raivo Dankers, and Belgium’s Liam Everts plus the newly crowned EMX85 Champion from South Africa, Camden Mc Lellan.

In addition to the competitive racing a competition titled the 2018 RIDE GREEN CUP will challenge the teams and riders to show their commitment to the environment also via social media. From correctly disposing of motor oil to promoting a sustainable approach to racing the teams will be judged at the end of the weekend. By clicking HERE you will be able to download the 2018 Ride Green Cup Info Document!

Full Entry Lists for all three classes can be found below:

65cc Entry List

85cc Entry List

125cc Entry List

LINKS

Youthstream

FIM

FIM Junior MX World Championship

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings is the ultimate professional. Great with his sponsors, the media and his fans it is little surprise that his fan base is growing fast. A winner worldwide, on any track and under any conditions. Most people believe the Flying Dutchman to be the best rider in the World at the moment, and it is hard to argue that point.

Something that has really given Herlings a lot of pleasure is racing in countries like Indonesia, Argentina and USA, and in the next couple of months he might head to America to race for his country, Holland, in the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

His fan base in Indonesia is rather surprising, and even while on holidays in Bali after the second Indonesian GP, I was asked a few times, by locals, what my opinion was of Jeffrey Herlings. So well-known is the three-time motocross world champion. It is also something that hasn’t gotten lost to the Dutch rider.

“I think it is really good (how well MXGP is known in Asia),” Herlings said. “ Youthstream and the Luongo family are running it. Youthstream are doing a really good job with the championship and it is always growing. Obviously, it is a big calendar with 20 races and it’s hard for some teams to make all the rounds, but if you look how big the sport has gotten since Giuseppe and Youthstream, it’s just amazing. If you look at the World scene, how it’s developed, it’s simply been growing every year and getting bigger and bigger, but if you look at the main thing, it’s making the sport awesome and they are doing a really good job.”

Herlings also knows that his current team, the Red Bull KTM Factory team are working just as hard as Youthstream to continue to improve the sport and break barriers Worldwide.

“I think KTM is really strong, look at MXGP and MX2 here. I have a contract until the end of 2020, and they have an option on me for 2021. The rumors that I’m negotiating with other manufacturers are not true. I am super happy with KTM and have been there for 10 years and they are like family, guys like Pit I mean. I can tell you for sure the next three years I am with them, and it would be hard to leave them.”

So now Herlings will head to Lommel, Belgium, a place a lot closer to home than Indonesia, and his fan base of course a lot bigger. What Herlings will continue to remember though is the sport is growing fast and his effort are also helping improve its growth.